Enderverse

Google's Project 10 to the 100

2008-11-12T16:55:00.001+11:00

As part of their 10th anniversary celebrations, Google has launched a new initiative called Project 10 to the 100 - a unique way of soliciting the great undiscovered ideas out there. They have $10 million to spend on five ideas and have received over 100,000 submissions, some by video.

The categories are Community, Opportunity, Energy, Environment, Health, Education, Shelter and Everything else. Once Google select up to five ideas for funding, they will begin an RFP process to identify the organisation(s) and proposals to implement the selected ideas.

It is not clear how this fits with Google.org's programs but what a great way to celebrate your 10th anniversary - better than the usual corporate publication, party or video. Submissions have closed but you can still vote for the best idea.

PM Kevin Rudd's Australia 2020 Summit

2008-02-12T12:27:00.000+11:00

This just in from the PM's Office, how you can get involved in the 2020 Summit...PM Kevin Rudd will convene an Australia 2020 Summit to bring together some of the best brains from across the country to tackle the long term challenges confronting Australia’s future.

The Summit website has now been launched. For all the details, including how you might participate, visit: http://www.australia2020.gov.au/

SMH's Horin alarmist on migrants & volunteering

2008-02-12T10:36:00.000+11:00

The SMH article by Adele Horin ‘Fewer volunteers in migrant suburbs’ (11 Feb) on a study by Ernest Healy at Monash University contains too narrow a focus on volunteering and is alarmist in its conclusion that ethnic diversity can hasten a withdrawal from "collective life."

The Healy study doesn’t capture the informal nature of help provided by migrants to friends, neighbours and their immediate community. Also, Horin fails to describe any general withdrawal or breakdown in society. Therefore Horin’s statement that the findings “challenge the notion that ethnic diversity leads to a stronger, more cohesive society” is flawed and alarmist.

I think we are doing ok with our ethnic diversity. The Dept of Immigration & Multicultural Affairs tells us “Since 1945 more than six million people have settled in Australia and in 60 years of post-war migration Australia's population has jumped from 6 million to approximately 20 million.

43 per cent of Australians were either born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas
Overseas born Australians come from nearly 200 countries
Some Australians have been here thousands of years
We speak over 200 languages, including Indigenous languages.”

http://www.harmony.gov.au/what-is-hd/index.htm

Enough of the fear, let’s have more resources to make multiculturalism work better…and get more people volunteering.

Truth and reconciliation for Soeharto necessary for Indonesian prosperity

2008-01-24T22:49:00.000+11:00

Former Indonesian President Soeharto is being kept alive by technology, reportedly so that he can secure a last minute pardon which would enable his children and their children to enjoy the spoils of Soeharto's New Order plunder of billions.

One lively discussion I have been having as part of general musings around "what should be done with Soeharto" has been over on Lowy's The Interpreter. The issue is soeharto's responsibility for Indonesia's version of the Killing Fields, the massacres started in October 1965 that saw probably around 500,000 people murdered mainly in Java and Bali. I could go into depth on my view of what happened but in the interests of holding your attention, skip past the next paragraph.

Or keep reading for a little more...in 1965 there was an extremely dodgy and failed (or did it?) coup that was supposedly aimed at Soekarno and blamed on the Communist Party (PKI) who had been in a struggle with various other factions in Indonesia. The army steps in, Soeharto assumes control, and payback killings and jailings are instigated against the PKI, left wingers, Chinese and just about anyone who could have threatened Soeharto's consolidation of political and economic power. Soeharto then used the fear of communism and the PKI as a political tool during his 32 year reign, including against those who were deproved of land as part of "development projects", such as the Kedung Ombo dam. Any descendant of a former PKI member has his/her ID card stamped and is never able to get a job in government and pretty much anywhere else. Lost you yet?

Ok, let's just say that I reckon Soeharto didn't order every individual killing but he directed them and then used the killings to build and then shore up his political and economic power base. And he and his mates should be held responsible for that.

Peter McCawley's assertions are first that nobody, including Soeharto, was in charge of the country , let alone the killings, during this tumultuous period. Robert Cribb deals with that nicely here. Second, McCawley asserts that Indonesia would be wasting precious and scarce resources on an effort to instigate an Indonesian form of a truth and reconciliation commission.

McCawley's view is valid from a purely budgetary point of view. Indonesia has limited resources, much poverty and many urgent and competing interests. However we are talking about people and people don't always act in the best interests of the government's budget. When people experience awful and debilitating trauma, there must be a process for healing and acknowledgment to enable them to move on. Look at Cambodia and South Africa to see that on a grand scale. Think of it like a mental illness, which not only causes great suffering but, like any illness, holds a person back from living their fullest and most productive life.

When people get treatment for mental illness they can start to move on and return to being productive and happy members of the community. And when you do this on a national scale, it sends a message to the broader national and international community which goes something like this..."you can trust us, we are gunna protect you. If someone abuses that trust, we are gunna make it right." People need to feel that security, it's just human.

I agree that any truth and reconciliation process has to be Indonesian-led and run. It shouldn't suffer interference like the important effort by the Cambodians. Yes, there will be a need for donor funds and other assistance, something that our AusAID and and universities could show leadership on. I think the forum started by Ilham Aidit, Amelia Yani and others shows how important this issue is to Indonesians. By satisfying their needs for truth and reconciliation, Indonesia's prosperity will be more secure.

Australia's greatest political, foreign policy and cultural crisis? Where are you PM Rudd?

2008-01-08T20:13:00.000+11:00

Australia is facing what is fast becoming our greatest ever political, foreign policy and cultural crisis and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is nowhere to be found. Bigger than the dismissal of PM Whitlam in 1975, bigger than Pauline Hanson, bigger than Tampa...of course I am referring to the aftermath of the 2nd cricket test between Australia and India.

Having been back in the country for a month, I have been waiting for the right moment to reactivate this blog. This appears to be it.

The situation is simple: India and Australia played one of the most exciting tests in memory, if not history. There were some very dodgy umpiring decisions. Indians and Australians are obsessed with cricket. The modern game is very, very competitive and huge bucks are at stake. Men's egos are especially fragile when you combine these factors and given the stress, it was a tinderbox waiting for a match.

Now I love cricket as much as any Australian (and almost as much as any Indian) but the reality is - GET A LIFE!!! Do we really have nothing better to do than overanalyse what the behaviour of some emotional men means for the characters of Australia and India? I dunno, maybe we could spend this time on HIV/AIDS, I.T., climate change, education, trade liberalisation...

If you think I am going too far then a few facts for you:

* Almost every news site has articles and 100s of comments ranging from the mild to the obscene;
* Peter Roebuck's article is the SMH's most read article today;
* Prominent political and foreign policy blogs, such as Larvatus Prodeo, Catallaxy and Lowy's The Interpreter, have weighed in;
* Politicians are weighing in, eg the Democrat Senator Andrew Bartlett and Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson. I am surprised I haven't received an email from GetUp!;
* People are analysing the financial impact almost as if it were a market crash.

It is very clear that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's holiday absence has led to a general breakdown in Australia and our international reputation, our social fabric is being torn apart by petty rivalries and bruised egos. Have a strong cup of tea and get back to the office, PM! Your country (and the Kevolution) needs you!

This blog and I are on holiday

2007-05-03T16:55:00.000+10:00

I will take a break from this blog for a while to go on a much anticipated round-the-world trip.

If you would like to keep in touch, my blog for the trip is nick chasing the sunrise.

I hope to see you somewhere on the road or just drop by the blog.

Online social communities and the office

2007-05-03T16:54:00.000+10:00

Australia’s affinity with online social communities is clear from the popularity of sites such as ninemsn, Yahoo!7, MySpace and RSVP.com. And now it is clear that more than half of us are also embracing social communities and tools in our workplaces for better learning and knowledge management.

A new survey from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework shows that blogs, wikis and virtual conferencing are being used by over half the respondents (59%, 58%, and 57% respectively) to share knowledge with colleagues and others. The next question to answer is what impact this is having on productivity.

Top 100 Australian blogs

2007-04-20T14:32:00.001+10:00

A blogger called Meg has compiled a list of the top 100 Australian blogs. Not yet sure about the metrics but a good way to get into some great new blogs:

http://blogpond.wordpress.com/top-100-australian-blogs-index/

Young people see privacy differently

2007-04-11T17:46:00.000+10:00

The Australian Law Reform Commission has confirmed that young people have a different perspective on privacy and that this is mostly driven by technology. Growing up with YouTube, MySpace and other online communities where identities are both hidden and exposed has changed how young people view privacy.

The ALRC’s research included setting up a very cool website for feedback and a series of youth workshops. ALRC President Professor David Weisbrot said the issue that has raised the most concern in workshops is the way in which personal health information is handled.

In The Australian, Christopher Scanlon was critical of the limited opposition to the proposed human services Access Card, saying it showed a collapse of the value of privacy. I reckon that privacy is still highly valued but that, up to a point, people are prepared to trade it for better services.

Neither party convincing on Australia's broadband solutions

2007-04-04T13:20:00.000+10:00

Australia’s Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts, Helen Coonan, has used her Communications Day Summit address to condemn the ALP’s broadband proposal to provide 98% of Australians with a minimum speed of 12 megabits per second for a total cost of $8 billion. Minister Coonan repeated the usual positions on the Government’s role in infrastructure development, reduced regulatory barriers to competition, incentives to private sector and market failure in rural and regional areas.

I agree with Stuart Corner at ITWire that Minister Coonan provided no new detail on solutions to pressing issues such as who would build the network and how access would be made available. Neither party has come up with much detail on their policies or on regulatory reform and both have a lot of work to do before the election to convince industry and the broader community of their IT credentials.

ALP Fair For Families campaign

2007-03-28T12:52:00.000+10:00

The Federal Opposition continues the militarisation of cyberspace. Julia Gillard, the Shadow Deputy Leader and Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations has set up a website here for people to register their objections to the Government’s WorkChoices legislation. The announcement comes 12 months after the introduction of the WorkChoices legislation and I have no doubt that the public input will feed Opposition campaigns. With a new Forrester report saying that 79 per cent of Australians are actively using the Internet, this is a sound strategy.

Australia's ABC buys an island in Second Life

2007-03-21T11:54:00.000+11:00

Australia's ABC has bought an island as part of a new R&D venture. You may ask how the ABC can afford to do this with taxpayer dollars. Don't worry, the island exists in Second Life, the virtual world of three million people run by Linden Lab – with its own currency and opportunities for social and financial interaction.

The move by the ABC's innovation division involves New Media manager Abigail Thomas assuming a virtual identity, or avatar, on Second Life as Abi Goldflake. The ABC’s island will feature streamed local content, exclusive events and other activities. Total business done on Second Life is estimated at $840,000 a day with the overall 2007 GDP estimated to be between US$500 and $600 million. Second Life has faced issues around child pornography and legality of business deals but virtual worlds are one of the fastest growing areas of the Internet.

Interestingly, a recent ABCTV Four Corners program on virtual communities did not mention the ABC’s purchase of the island in Second Life. When I spoke to Four Corners, they advised that production of the program was commissioned well in advance of the SL island purchase. Is this just an omission or a sign of healthy commercial nous in the new business areas of our ABC?

Minister Santo Santoro resigns: another one bites the dust

2007-03-16T15:12:00.000+11:00

The Minister for Ageing, Senator Santo Santoro, announced his resignation from the Howard Ministry at a doorstop interview in Canberra today. Senator Santoro cited his misreporting of the ownership and sale of shares in biotec company, CBio, as the reason.

There was no mention of his donation of the proceeds to the charity, Family Council of Queensland, Inc. As Tim Dunlop and many others say, it isn’t a charity. It’s a rightwing lobby group whose associate director, Alan Baker, just happened to be the person who offered Santoro the shares in the first place.

Aged care is an increasingly hot issue, especially for baby boomers, so the choice for Santoro's replacement will be critical to Howard and the coming election.

Is this is a bad case of boomerang shaped mud?

Garuda Yogya crash: memorials & Morgan Mellish blog

2007-03-14T23:58:00.000+11:00

This week has seen the return to Australia of the remains of the Australians killed in last week's crash. The familes must have been through hell. I even felt for Minister Downer as he visibly struggled to cope with the loss of people who were either working for him or covering his visit.

This Friday I will attend the AusAID memorial service for Allison Sudrajat to be held in the Great Hall at Parliament House. I only knew her from work at AusAID and from the Indophile crowd but I am going to show support for her family and friends and for the many AusAIDers and others who have been affected. The crash could have taken so many more lives and sometimes you should mark the occasion when people who move in and out of your life are lost - and appreciate the privilege and sacrifice of these jobs.

For a wonderful record of the love and respect for these people, check out the blog set up in memory of Morgan Mellish.

Double Australia's population or perish

2007-03-14T23:49:00.000+11:00

I used to claim that Australia needed to double its population if we are to survive, compete and thrive in our region. Now I have found a guy who actually can back up the population expansion claim with a pretty sensible argument.

Check out the podcast and speech by Philippe (Blue) Legrain from his recent address to the Sydney Ideas Forum.

It’s time Australia regained its Good International Citizenship

2007-03-14T23:41:00.000+11:00

Something to warm the soul and fire the heart...

"After a decade long deterioration in Australia’s international reputation, it’s time Australia regained its Good International Citizenship..."

Bring it on...for the complete speech, find it here.

- Robert McClelland, Alternative Foreign Minister, Lowy Institute, 14 March 2007 -

Australian IT innovation and embarassment

2007-03-14T14:03:00.000+11:00

Last night the winners of the Secrets of Australian ICT Innovation competition were announced by Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information and the Arts. The Minister’s announcement comes at a time of increased pressure around community level ICT issues, such as broadband access. The Australian reports that many small businesses outside the big cities and in remote areas are anxiously waiting for the federal Government to reveal its revised rural broadband subsidy scheme, which will influence the success or failure of their businesses.

I have heard that while Stephen Conroy, the Shadow Minister for Communications and Information Technology, has not yet provided a title for his speech next week to the National Press Club, it is said that broadband issues will be a major part of it.

Australian Democrats: Stop the Access Card now campaign site

2007-03-09T17:21:00.000+11:00

The power of the 'puter just keeps on growing. The Australian Democrats have announced their passionate embracing of modern technology to boost their campaign against the Government’s proposed Access Card. The announcement said that the Stop the Access Card now campaign site features an e-petition; downloadable flyer and poster; and a range of relevant links.

The next bit is what caught my eye. It says "Democrats’ Privacy spokesperson, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, was one of the first politicians to have an email address and a website, and was the first to table an e-petition." I assume she means Australian, oh and federal, politicians. Does anyone know whether this is true?

Kelvin Thomson, Australia's Alternative Attorney-General forced to resign

2007-03-09T15:27:00.000+11:00

Kelvin Thomson, Australia's Alternative Attorney-General, has resigned after it was revealed that he provided a letter of reference for Tony Mokbel, a drug king who is on the run, when Mokbel was applying for a liquor licence in 2000.

As Tim Dunlop points out, one of many weird things is "Mr Thomson said he did not know Mokbel and had not even heard of him at the time, but his office provided the reference as a matter of course, based on information given to them that Mokbel had no criminal record over the previous eight years." How many MPs provide references as a matter of course? I am sure there is more to come.

Australia: the global citizen returns

2007-03-09T00:07:00.000+11:00

It's the ALP's foreign policy message month. A couple of crackers from Australia's Alternative Prime Minister and Alternative Foreign Minister on our place in the world.

Alternative PM Kevin Rudd in a speech to the Global Foundation in Melbourne today: "We should not fulfil our citizenship of the world by sending just arms to fight, but rather sending aid to foster growth and development, and extend the hand of friendship. We should be a more proactive supporter of debt relief and coupling aid funds with social, economic and institutional reforms. We should also be looking at the underlying causes of poverty."

Alternative FM Robert McClelland: on 14 March at the Lowy Institute, in his first major speech as Shadow Foreign Minister, Mr McClelland will discuss Labor's determination to regain Australia's reputation as a good international citizen. He argues that over the last decade Australia's international reputation has declined as the Howard Government has moved away from multilateralism and has failed to effectively address the issue of weak states in our region. Mr McClelland will argue that a new focus on good international citizenship would further the national interest.

"Government is a place where people come together." (PJB, WW S1 E12)

Eddie Perfect: Gay people shouldn't get married

2007-03-08T23:55:00.000+11:00

I was a bit on the fence when it comes to gay marriage until I saw this Eddie Perfect video posted on Club Troppo. How could I have been so naive? Of course gay people shouldn't get married. For the Family First fans ;)

Jimmy Wales to visit Australia: do you know what Wikipedia says about you?

2007-03-08T12:20:00.000+11:00

In potentially one of the most exciting new media visits, the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, will visit Australia next month. Wikipedia is the world’s largest online encyclopaedia. According to itself, Wikipedia is operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organisation supported by donations, and has over six million articles in 250 languages, including 1.6 million in the English edition. It is the 12th most visited website in the world and the 10th in Australia and often appears in the top five entries in Google searches. Wikipedia is produced collaboratively by volunteers and its articles can be edited by anyone with access. But many have raised concerns about accuracy, credibility, control, fraud, vandalism and bias - one example is the recent scandal involving the fabricated identity of a Wikipedia editor.

For any individual or organisation seeking to explore online communities and their perceptions, Wikipedia is a great place to start. Do you know what Wikipedia says about you?

PM announces Australian Broadband Guarantee

2007-03-07T18:20:00.000+11:00

The Prime Minister has just announced the Australian Broadband Guarantee, to ensure that all Australians have affordable access to a high-quality Internet connection. Under the ABG, the Government will commit $163 million to provide subsidised Internet access for Australians currently unable to gain a reasonable access to broadband service in their home or small business. According to the Alternative Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Stephen Conroy, the Broadband Guarantee is doomed to disappoint because it fails to deliver the serious investment desperately needed in the sector.

In the (NSW) Liberals - starring Peter Debnam

2007-03-07T16:39:00.000+11:00

On a lighter note, here is a cracker video on Peter Debnam and the NSW Liberals - made by the National Union of Workers (NSW Branch), .

Crashed Garuda flight GA200 in Indonesia

2007-03-07T13:10:00.000+11:00

What a devastating day, another plane has crashed in Indonesia - this time Garuda flight GA 200 from Jakarta to Yogyakarta in Central Java. Garuda has stated that 22 people, including one crew member, had died, while 118 other passengers and crew escaped. This is more bad news for Indonesia after a recent spate of crashes. There is no sign yet of sabotage.

A list of Indonesians on the flight who have been accounted for can be found in various places on Detik while a list of Australians can be found here and here. While I only knew some of the victims from living in Jakarta, I really feel for their friends and loved ones. I can't help but think that it could so easily have been many other people we lived and worked with on the plane. I feel so far away.

Official reports are still sketchy but included in the group of Australians now known to have perished in the crash are Allison Sudrajat (Minister-Counsellor and Head of AusAID Indonesia), Morgan Mellish (AFR and Walkley award winner) and Australian Federal Police officers Brice Steele and Mark Scott. Liz O'Neill (Australian embassy spokesperson and winner of Medal in the Order of Australia) has not yet been identified but is presumed dead. In The Age there is a reference to Minister Downer's confirmation that "an additional Australian on the plane had walked away from the crash uninjured. He said the man, a dual Italian and Australian national, had phoned a friend who confirmed his survival to Australian authorities in Indonesia."

DFAT has set up a Consular Response Centre. The DFAT Hotline is 1800 00 22 14 and the Consular Emergency Centre is 1800 002 214.

Semoga semua teman dan keluarganya aman. Saya mengucapkan belangsungkawa yang sedalam-dalamnya kepada keluarga korban.

East Timor: Should Australia tackle poverty or governance? Or perhaps leadership?

2007-03-06T22:43:00.000+11:00

The recent unrest in East Timor has sparked much discussion about the importance of security and governance. Recently, Susan Cirillo, an honours graduate in Politics and International Relations from the University of New South Wales has produced a discussion paper based on her thesis, 'Australia's governance aid: Evaluating evolving norms and objectives'.

What caught my attention is her hypothesis "that the ‘good governance’ agenda has been articulated by AusAID [which manages the Australian Government aid program] in a way that claims to facilitate the aid program’s binary function; promoting development in recipient countries whilst simultaneously serving the Australian interest. Australia has harnessed the aid program’s governance agenda to provide a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to pursuing Australia’s security and trade interests."

Cirillo also says that "Hence, the argument is that Australia’s ‘good governance’ agenda is primarily shaped by Australia’s foreign policy imperatives. Reciprocally, projects which seek to enhance Australia’s regional security and the proliferation of economic liberalisation amongst current and potential trading partners are justified under the rubric of ‘good governance’."

Cirillo adds that "AusAID exemplifies a liberal conception of democracy given its emphasis on the procedural elements of democracy, rather than the substantive social elements of democracy."

One of Cirillo's most interesting conclusions is that "Australia primarily understands governance in terms of strengthening the state to guard against security threats and maintaining order, rather than focusing on the broader aspects of democratic, accounatable (sic) and equitable development." Although I think that good governance has a important role to play (especially given questions around aid effectiveness), I tend to agree with the security analysis and would point to the $27 million being spent every year on a detention centre in Nauru as a example of this shift.

Most of the young men in East Timorese gangs don't have jobs, they are excluded from the justice and political systems and they face a very uncertain future. Rather than just keep on sending in the troops, we need to look more closely at the underlying causes for the violence - poverty and injustice.

It would be great if we could put the aid emphasis squarely back on reducing absolute poverty, the kind of gut-wrenching, filthy, humiliating poverty that affects more than 1.1 billion people around the world. Our Asia-Pacific region alone accounts for 70 per cent of the world's poor people. But for that we need more political will, public support and funds. This year in East Timor alone, Australia will only spend $43.6 million in aid compared to $332.2 million for PNG and $344.3 for Indonesia.

As a start, the ratio of Australia's total Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to Gross National Income (GNI) for 2005-06 is estimated at 0.28 per cent. PM Howard committed to increasing Australia's aid to $4 billion by 2010 - however estimates are this will be only 0.36% of GNI and will leave Australia ranked 18th out of 22 wealthy OECD nations. Let's commit to the international target of 0.7% of GNI by 2015 - the target date for the Millennium Development Goals. That will send a strong message about how serious we are about tackling poverty. Now that would really be in our national interest...and East Timor's.

Minister Ian Campbell resigns: WA Inc - PM Howard mops up the stain

2007-03-04T01:48:00.000+11:00

I have said before that if the meetings with "disgraced" former WA premier Brian Burke are the worst thing that the Coalition can find out about Kevin Rudd then the Coalition government will find it harder than expected to win the next election.

But now the infamous WA Inc stain has spread to the Howard government. The newly appointed Minister for Human Services, Ian Campbell, has reportedly resigned. Why? Because he met with Burke and members of the WA Turf Club. According to Catallaxy this has led to opppositon leader Kevin Rudd calling for an early election.

As Ken L said on Surfdom, the point is that neither Burke nor his associates have actually been accused of doing anything wrong other than having the meetings.

Where will this witch hunt end and discussion on real policy issues recommence? Probably in the place where I should be at this hour - my dreams.

Howard vs McKew: we love a bit of biffo

2007-03-03T15:09:00.000+11:00

We all love a bit of biffo, here is a brilliant Nicholson perspective on PM Howard vs the ALP's star recruit, Maxine McKew, for the seat of Bennelong in Sydney's lower North Shore.

Important Australian values website

2007-03-03T00:13:00.000+11:00

This site rocks. I discovered it tonight when trying to explain to an Indonesian friend how difficult it is to get into Australia.

This shows exactly how ridiculous the Australian values debate has become. If you Google 'Australian Values test' this is what you get in the top three hits - imagine how many people think it is real and even if most don't, it shows that the so-called citizenship test is painfully embarassing. Enjoy valuesaustralia.com

The growing militarisation of cyberspace

2007-03-02T00:33:00.000+11:00

The online campaigns of the major Australian political parties are hotting up. Patricia Karvelas in The Australian is the latest to cover the battle growing in cyberspace. Karvelas describes a political onslaught over the internet under a massive increase in online campaigning planned by Labor and the Coalition. She also reminds us that political parties are exempt from anti-spam legislation prohibiting unsolicited emails. I maintain that this election will be the first genuinely contested in the reaches of cyberspace, especially through blogs and online campaign sites. But it would be a surprise for us to see John Howard blog on his thoughts and policies anytime soon.

Expertocracy - a new political system for Australia

2007-03-01T23:20:00.000+11:00

I just spent a few days on the farm with my partner's family, who have a property of several thousand acres in a place called Bute, around 140km north of Adelaide, South Australia. Heard of Snowtown? Yup, the bodies in the barrels in the bank vault - near there.

This was my second trip but this time I learned a lot more about how agrarian socialism works in Australia. If I told my partner's family that they would probably stare blankly at me for lefty is a dirty word in Bute. But the interdependence of the families in the area amazed me - the impact each person had on the next. Something city slickers just cannot understand and proof to me why a simplistic approach as let the market rule just won't work.

Maybe it was learning about the young farmer who inherited his land and didn't spray his weeds which were jumping the fence into the neighbour's paddock. Or the people who lived up the road who weren't taking their turn to drive the kids to meet the school bus. Especially the Bute pub which has a new lecherous owner who locks everyone in after 2am and let's them drink until dawn and beyond - bringing despair for poor families at home and worry to parents of local girls working there. Or the experienced farmer who dug up a neighbour's water pipe to discover a water restricter that was put there in the 70s and by removing it saved much in time and dollars. Especially the devastation of the community caused by the fire at the abattoir. Naturally the understanding (yes) of the role of immigrants. And the sheep farmer dependent on the efficient farmer's best stubs of the new harvest to graze his flock. And the terrible roads, internet and mobile phone networks and so much more.

Naturally talk turned to water and climate change, a given in a place where the whole town stood still when the weather came on for a full ten minutes (in my house it was The Bill). The news mentioned the new $10 billion deal for the Federal Government to take control of the Murray-Darling basin system. Some in Bute said the idea of an expert commission was a good one, that the science should dictate the way to manage water, not the politics.

One went further and even suggested that the idea should be applied to our political system. Instead of politicians being elected to parliaments, representatives of key groups would be elected by their members for a six year term (and no more). To get elected in this system of Expertocracy, you have to be a member of a registered, member based organisation, eg the farmers, miners, steelworkers, doctors etc, the people that know how to run the country, he said. The parliament then elects the executive. And why not? Maybe we could use Germain's Generalized Expertise Measure (GEM) to set the standard? At least food for thought.

Australian Conservation Foundation likes coal

2007-02-22T22:49:00.000+11:00

Tonight I met David Noonan, a nuclear free campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). He told me a very interesting thing about the ACF's energy policy. The ACF disagrees with The Greens' position that the coal industry should be shut down by government due to its huge carbon footprint. The ACF believes that a national emissions trading scheme should be introduced and that coal should have to compete in that system like every other industry. For more detail, check out the ACF climate change policy here.

Their key points on why the ACF are against new uranium mines are as follows:

Uranium fails the test on exports and on public opinion;
Uranium is a high risk marginal export compared to the future of renewables;
Increasing the risk of proliferation of nuclear weapons and of nuclear terrorism;
Disproportionate impacts on indigenous communities;
Failure of government regulation and corporate performance; and
Pressure for nuclear waste dumping increases on Australia.

Again, for the stats and detail to back it up - go to the ACF site on a nuclear free Australia.

Why I joined the ALP

2007-02-22T22:30:00.000+11:00

Today I joined the ALP. Ok to be exact, tonight I went to my first meeting of the Telopea sub-branch of the Australian Capital Territory branch of the Australian Labor Party - I am still waiting for the membership paperwork to clear. I could go into a whole range of detail on my views on the various political issues but if I could sum up in a sentence or two why I joined the ALP, it would be this:

I want to be a part of a movement to invest in our community and build a bright future - economically, socially and environmentally. Given that I am an Australian and in Australia I think I should start here. I think the ALP is the best vehicle to do that and that Kevin Rudd would be the best leader for that movement. The ALP is not perfect and we don't have all the answers yet but I believe that sooner or later you have to stop firing your slingshot from behind the bushes.

"Government is a place where people come together." (PJB, WW S1 E12)

Enough said on that for now, back to the sandpit.

Internet advertising spend has overtaken radio, magazine and outdoor

2007-02-21T19:11:00.000+11:00

Today’s The Age features the long anticipated report that Australia’s Internet advertising spend has overtaken radio, magazine and outdoor in terms of revenue earned and now sits behind television and newspapers. Revenue from Internet advertising grew 61.5% in 2006 to break through the A$1 billion mark and more than doubled over the previous two years, according to the Audit Bureau of Verification Services in its annual report.

According to The Age’s Graeme Philipson, one important aspect of Internet advertising is that its audience is much easier to measure. Television is maintaining its share of the advertising pie, but print is declining and I agree with Philipson that when more money is being spent online than in magazines, you know the world has changed.

Do you camp? Then you must try BarCamp-ing

2007-02-20T22:13:00.000+11:00

Usually camping conjures up images of tents, lilos, bush, fires, mosquitoes, knots, nature, badges, stars etc and for some of us this brings back warm and fuzzy memories. For others it is the very worst idea of a good time. Thankfully I am one of the former but recently I have worried about the social acceptability of wanting access to my precious devices, or not finding enough like minded people with whom I could argue about the world and solve its problems.

Thankfully, some smart cookies have come up with a concept that solves both my problems - the BarCamp. According to them, a BarCamp is an "ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants." You should also be handy with a laptop and expect access to hotspots.

Participants (no voyeurs, you have to jump in) give a demo, a session, or help with one, or otherwise contribute in some way to support the event. All presentations are scheduled the day they happen. You must prepare in advance, but they say come early to register your slot on the wall. The people at the event will select the demos or presentations they want to see. Presenters are responsible for making sure that their notes/slides/audio/video are published on the web for the benefit of all. People are, and have held BarCamps all over the world, from BarCampTokyo , BarCampMexico, FutureCamp Seoul, PodCampWest San Francisco and many others.

I like this concept so much that I have to tell you that the first ever BarCampAustralia will be held from 3-4 March 2007. The event is in the early stages of planning, but it is decided that there will be at least four locations (check out BarCampAdelaide, BarCampMelbourne, BarCampSydney and BarCampCanberra) with the possibility of more (see BarCampPerth). Sponsors and venues are still being sought.

I might see you there.

Has the Howard Government finally jumped the shark?

2007-02-20T14:05:00.000+11:00

Dan (be nice to one another) alerted me to the fantastic concept of "jumping the shark". In an episode of the TV series Happy Days, the character Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli jumps over a shark while waterskiing (still wearing his black leather jacket). This moment has been defined as "jumping the shark". Its creators describe it as 'the defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill.'

Has PM John Howard and his Coalition government finally jumped the shark? It seems Malcolm MacKerras thinks he has, while Club Troppo appears less convinced. If Howard has jumped the shark, what was the defining moment? Was it Howard's attack on US Senator Barack Obama? Or perhaps the promise of 70 additional troops (advisers) for Iraq?

PM John Howard: where is your blog?

2007-02-20T00:03:00.000+11:00

David Cameron, the UK's Tory leader, has started a blog. As the FT writer, Gideon Rachman, points out, when the world's least fashionable political party discovers a social trend, it is surely a sign that it is peaking. Ferenc Gyurcsany, Prime Minister of Hungary, posts new comments on his blog most days - sometimes twice a day. Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, President of Iran, has a blog. Of course Hillary Clinton has a blog. Segolene Royal, the French Socialist party nominee for president, has a blog. Lionel Jospin, former French PM and one time aspiring presidential candidate, has a blog. As pointed out to me by GoodToBeWithYou, Australia's alternative PM, (and now our preferred PM according to the latest Newspoll), Kevin Rudd, already has a blog.

So where is our John Howard? Is he going to be the last world leader to dive into the blogosphere? Or maybe he just doesn't have the ticker?

2006 Hitwise Online Performance Award for Australian political websites

2007-02-15T00:32:00.001+11:00

On Line Opinion has taken out the 2006 Hitwise Online Performance Award for Australian political websites. On Line Opinion beat all the major political party sites and reached 100,000 unique visitors a month. As pointed out on Larvatus Prodeo, this is hardly a challenge, "in contrast to both the US and the UK, Australian netcampaigning is stuck somewhere in Web 1.0 – most political party sites either being an archive of press releases, or tedious pseudo-blogs with no opportunity for citizen engagement."

Interestingly, this award is not based on the opinion of a small number of industry luminaries rather it is given for verifiable traffic. Hitwise states that their results are audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers. On Line Opinion is published by Graham Young under the ownership of The National Forum, which describes itself as a virtual town square designed to provide free democratic space on the web for citizens, and shop fronts for institutions.

GetUp! fires up on David Hicks and more...

2007-02-07T17:20:00.000+11:00

Also, GetUp! continues to fire imaginations, this week helping drive the David Hicks campaign back onto TV and the front page through coordinated protest actions. I expect we will see more from GetUp! as the election approaches – the question will be whether they choose issues that are relevant enough to mainstream voters to trigger action. Recently GetUp! joined with other online political campaigners to form Avaaz.org, a global online political campaign community.

Water allocations to be traded on eBay?

2007-02-07T17:18:00.000+11:00

The digital realm has also been saturated with talk on water and climate change, especially around a new water trading system. One suggestion by the Wentworth Group’s economist Mike Young has been for household water to be traded on eBay. Young’s position is that only when a real price is put on water will people take action. I think eBay could also be used for carbon credit trading, enabling access by all sectors of the community.

Gates: The revolution will not be televised

2007-01-31T13:06:00.000+11:00

The revolution will not be televised. That’s the prediction made by Microsoft’s Bill Gates at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, with traditional TV to become obsolete in just five years. Established trends towards the Internet, including the rise of Goggle’s YouTube, could be the end of the box as we know it. We will know doubt see a concerted effort in Australia, especially by the free-to-air stations, to protect their turf but sooner or later they will see the writing is on the wall…or more likely on the chat site.

Nairn: Australians to blog with ministers & bureaucrats

2007-01-31T13:04:00.000+11:00

Australians could soon be able to blog with ministers and bureaucrats as the Government pushes ahead with new ways to interact with government, including accessing services and influencing policy. According to Special Minister of State, Gary Nairn, at the Information Online 2007 conference in Sydney, social networking and interactivity, such as blogs and podcasts, are key trends driving how governments deal with citizens. However, his description of some parts of the online community as “whackos” may ruffle some feathers.

2007 federal election in Australia - will we see change?

2007-01-11T12:21:00.000+11:00

For those Australians returning from Mars, 2007 is a federal election year for Australia. Most commentators are predicting an October election although some Liberal Party insiders are increasingly suggesting the unusual step of a winter election in July or August.

And we are not alone – this year there are elections in Argentina, Bangladesh, France, Kenya, Pakistan, PNG, Timor Leste and many others. In Australia, the Coalition will face the new ALP leadership team of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. The ALP will try to push industrial relations as a key issue, particularly the fear around the Government’s Work Choices changes. But with unemployment at record lows (4.6%), it will be harder to sell this fear. More feared is the “other” IR issue – interest rates. If the Reserve Bank raises rates again, or even twice, this could swing some of Howard’s battlers in key seats. The ALP will also try to differentiate itself on social policy – especially health and education.

Other issues are water and nuclear energy, as part of increased attention to climate change. The ALP will try to highlight Iraq (and by extension AWB) and security but unless we see body bags brought home or another attack on Australians, this is less likely to gain traction. Key one-on-ones to watch will be Swan vs Costello, Garrett vs Turnbull, Roxon vs Abbott and Gillard vs Andrews. Other influences will be the Greens appeal on climate change and whether Pauline Hanson’s return drives the values debate. Ultimately it could boil down to leadership – voters generally know and trust Howard (33 years in parliament, 11 as PM), they don’t (yet) Rudd and Gillard (9 years each in parliament). The Coalition have the track record, the ALP doesn’t. One thing is for sure, we can expect to see plenty of “public interest” advertising in 2007.

Minister Hockey: Access Card like an iPod

2006-11-08T16:50:00.000+11:00

The Federal Minister for Human Services, Joe Hockey, has compared the highly anticipated Access Card to an iPod. In his address to the National Press Club today the Minister said that a third of the card’s storage capacity would be in the hands of the individual and could be accessed and used to store information, such as blood type and emergency contact details. The Minister also responded to the report of the Consumer and Privacy Taskforce headed by Professor Allan Fels, including by not accepting its recommendations that the card remove a person’s signature and card number. Some groups claim the card could be used as an ID card and lobbied strongly for these to be removed, along with a person’s birth date. The smart card will consolidate 17 social services cards, including Medicare and Centrelink. The Government proposes to gradually introduce the card from 2008.

Vote early and vote informed

2006-11-08T16:41:00.000+11:00

TinkN FICCL bout d election? Dun wnt 2 vote? DEGT. U cld b cryN ovr d rEzlt on election nyt. T+ & vote.*

What does this mean? With NSW and federal elections coming up, political parties are grappling with how to win that floating group of voters, especially young people aged 18-25 years. Increasingly technology is providing the answers on how to engage this group that usually switches off when it comes to voting issues. So how to switch them on? The Daily Telegraph had a great piece on using technology and youth friendly language to get the Generation Y vote. Professor Phil Harris, head of marketing at the University of Otago and former Vice Chairman of the Liberal Party in the UK reckons that text messaging and other mobile content is the way to go. I wonder if Australian political parties will be as switched on to this new reality.

* Thinking, "Frankly, I couldn't care less" about the election?" Don't want to vote? Don't even go there. You could be crying over the result on election night. Think positive and vote.

Australians see change on government services

2006-11-08T16:40:00.000+11:00

Australian providers of public services are starting to get the message that consumers need easy and accessible ways to use these services. The Access Card, which will replace 17 health and social services cards, is one response, with the AFR reporting that the first implementation tenders are due to be announced in the coming weeks. Also, I have it on good authority that the plan to enable you to use Medicare cards in EFTPOS machines will become a reality as soon as mid-2007. This means your Medicare claim gets credited directly to your account so you don’t need to go into a branch. Hopefully more public services will follow the digital path, especially given the increasing consumer demand. Computerworld reports that the percentage of users accessing government services via the Internet has risen from 39 percent in 2004-05 to 48 percent in 2006. The trick for governments will be to balance privacy concerns with the efficient provision of public services.

See change on climate change

2006-11-08T16:37:00.000+11:00

Climate change is one the hottest topics at the moment and the public reaction shows the what technology has to offer to those engaging on issues. From sharp news commentaries on drought by Online Opinion to witty videos, such as this one on NSW coal projects on YouTube. Also check out GetUp!’s latest Climate Action Now with its suite of options for involvement. Online communities are helping push the debate and I am sure that bloggers will keenly track the seemingly inevitable backflip on climate change from Australian Government. One to watch will be the online community’s tracking of the backflip on our involvement in Iraq. Now that will be to literally see change.

Gaming for change

2006-10-18T17:28:00.000+10:00

Getting your message across is like getting Australia's Murray-Darling River to flow – there are so many competing issues across many organisations and media. To cut through, advocacy groups are turning to online games. Mcvideogame was created to show all of McDonald’s alleged dirty secrets – the game includes taking the cows to slaughter and force feeding them GM foods. Disaffected! puts the player in the role of employees forced to serve customers under the dire circumstances apparently common to a Kinko’s copy store. Australia has the awful ability to boast one of the first racist online games, called Cronulla First, promoted by the fascist Australia First Party. What will be next? Maybe “Dodge the Drought”, where city slickers can save their virtual farm. Or maybe “Boiler Suit Larry” where Australians race to dig up and export precious metals and minerals from around the country to keep the economy on track. Game play can be a good way to help people understand the complexities of economic and social systems so no doubt there is more to come.

Do the proposed media laws matter?

2006-10-11T14:47:00.000+10:00

All Australian media have been busy with discussions on proposed media laws currently before the Senate. The role of technology has been widely discussed, with two major streams of argument. The first says that the laws should not be passed as this will lead to a concentration of media, especially in rural and regional areas according to the Nationals. This argument also says that traditional media giants will come to dominate online media, pointing to News Corporation’s purchase of MySpace for US$580 million. A second line of argument says that technology will drive new forms of media, eg. Internet TV, and new business models that will disrupt the dominance of traditional media and quickly make obsolete these proposed laws. Google’s purchase of YouTube for US$1.67 billion is a strong sign of things to come. It is safe to say we will see a bit of both, with consolidation probably inevitable, especially globally, and the role of technology becoming more significant.

Emerging technologies can strengthen public policy

2006-10-04T17:24:00.000+10:00

Consumer based digital influence campaigns show that emerging technologies can strengthen public policy by enabling greater scrutiny and participation. To highlight just a few: voting closes this week for the 2006 Children's TV Food Advertising Awards run by the The Parents Jury and Choice Magazine is asking parents to submit names of food products for review. From another angle, McDonalds’ has launched ‘Makeupyourownmind’ to respond to allegations against the company, such as dubious meat production, poor working conditions, environmental impact and marketing to children. Many have been critical, The Age said the move was driven by the release of the film Fast Food Nation and the visit to Australia by its writer, Eric Schlosser. As the ABC points out, marketing through the Internet is much harder to regulate, however bloggers love a fight and with this latest digital move McDonalds certainly has given them one.

Youf: how the hell do we reach them?

2006-09-27T15:37:00.000+10:00

What do Governments share with companies and parents that is a joy when it works and incredibly frustrating when it doesn’t? It’s communicating with youth, a.k.a. ‘young Australians’ or even ‘youf’ and we have come across some interesting efforts. One approach is to create your own online presence – such as these for youth generally, rural youth, young business or specific issues such as mental health. Another is to go to where the wild things are by setting up in MySpace or other online community, as adidas and Oxfam have done. Both ways have their strengths – creating your own gives you control yet jumping into the world of youth can bring more credibility. As Dave Barry said, “I care about our young people, and I wish them great success, because they are our Hope for the Future, and some day, when my generation retires, they will have to pay us trillions of dollars in social security.”

Government Accountability, Free Speech and Voluntary Euthanasia

2006-09-20T13:39:00.000+10:00

Is the Internet undermining our institutions of accountability or just highlighting how irrelevant they have become? Recently the South Australian Parliament took the unprecedented step of erasing from the official Hansard record a speech by Democrat Sandra Kanck on euthanasia where she outlined ways people have taken their own lives. The speech was described by Premier Mike Rann as “shameful” as it could encourage people to take their own lives, a line supported by the federal Suicide Material Related Offences Act and Sane Australia. Kanck defended her actions as being in the best interests of “fundamental human rights – the right to free speech and the right to die with dignity” with the ban undermining the institution of parliamentary privilege. Of course, the speech has attracted attention all over the Net, with an NZ website posting the speech in full, and the ban has only drawn more attention to its contents.

Queensland election gets the digital touch

2006-08-31T19:09:00.000+10:00

The Queensland state election has been a pretty one-sided affair so far and thus rather boring but one interesting angle has been the role of digital influence. Two interesting things I have been able to find so far are a brilliant video taking the proverbial out of Peter Beattie on YouTube, including by pasting his head on the body of an S&M dominatrix. Who said politics was boring. Also, the Queensland National Party candidate for the seat of Toowoomba North, Lyle Shelton has started a blog, championed by the master blogger Senator Andrew Bartlett of the Democrat Party. Bring it on, let’s see more state and federal pollies getting in on the digital influence act. Any more out there?

Is Sunrise's Mel scared about that online stuff?

2006-08-30T18:42:00.000+10:00

The co-anchor of Channel 7’s popular Sunrise program, Melissa Doyle, has repeatedly emphasised her ignorance of digital influence. Mel did a story on a Tasmanian teenager who featured on a video website, had her computer hacked and her privacy invaded. Mel’s comments were about how she didn’t really know about that online stuff. The Director of Sunrise, Ken Moore, when asked what was on his ipod said, “I don’t own one, I love my cd collection.” No problem on its own, yet these people are at the forefront of media in Australia. This is also a concern when you consider that Channel 7 is part of the Yahoo! group, one of the world’s biggest online companies.

Yes, Minister Downer

2006-08-30T18:22:00.000+10:00

Even Australia’s beloved Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer is struggling with digital influence. The Australian reported that the International Committee of the Red Cross has criticised Minister Downer for relying on an unchecked internet blog to justify claims that an Israeli bombing of an ambulance was a Lebanese hoax. Minister Downer accused the ICRC and some of the world's most respected media, including Time magazine and The New York Times, of falling for the hoax.

What is Enderverse?

2006-08-30T16:14:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone

Having just returned from 5-6 years based in Asia, I have spent the past months reconnecting with Australia. This included catching up with family and friends, a new job with Parker & Partners and catching up on all things public policy and political. Given my dearly beloved remained behind in Jakarta finishing her work to enable access to justice for the poor, I decided to build a blog.

In our world of internet, mobile devices, MySpace, speeds, feeds and more, many are struggling to understand what the hell these blogs are. But being proud of your ignorance of the digital world is like telling racist jokes because you think you are bucking political correctness. C’mon, everyone is still learning, so just jump in and get started or get left behind! I hope this small blog will help you unearth a bit more about growing space of digital influence on attitudes, behaviours and policies.

All of us are trying to come to terms with the impact of digital influence and realise they need to know more about it. One way to do this is to check out this short video called ‘Citizen Journalism: From Pamphlet to Blog’. It will give you an overview of some key digital influence trends.

I penned (yes not typed) a rough definition of digital influence on the back of an envelope on the plane the other day - let me know what you think..."Digital influence is the individual and collective power of electronic, mobile and virtual sources of influence that change attitudes, behaviours and policies". Treat that as a work in progress.

I will update this blog on average every week so if you would like to get the latest updates directly on your email then please subscribe to the list. Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested.

f you have something to share on digital influence, please let me know...nickgoodwin@gmail.com

Cheers

Nick